Brandy was rescued when she was 2 weeks old, and the odds of her survival were touch and go. She had to be bottle fed and nursed through this period that she would normally be with her mother. Thanks to the dedication of her new family, Brandy grew into a healthy, happy dog, but had not finished presenting challenges. She was born with a congenital problem called Hip Dysplasia. This condition causes hips to be easily dislocated because the normal ball and socket arrangement of the joint is distorted.
A year ago, one of Brandy’s hips “popped out”. With the aid of sedation, the dislocation was reduced (put back in place). The joint was kept in place with the aid of a figure 8 bandage, which eased Brandy’s pain until surgery could be performed. From the pre-surgical x-ray, you can see why the one hip will not fit properly. In these cases, a procedure called “excision arthroplasty” needs to be performed. In this scenario, part of the femur bone, (the ball), is removed and the body will produce a false joint called “pseudarthrosis”. The leg will still function normally. There won’t be any pain that would normally occur as arthritis sets in from the joint instability. Hopefully, the other hip will behave so that this will be the only surgery needed. Thanks to her caring family, Brandy is leading a full and pain free life.
